'Draco needs a father, Sirius,' Abraxas replied. 'As much as I care about the boy, I have learnt that I am constitutionally incapable of filling that role in his life. You, however, have proven yourself to be an excellent father.' He paused. 'I think you should marry Narcissa.'
Sirius spurted tea all over his robes. 'I beg your pardon?'
'It makes perfect sense, Sirius.' The older wizard casually bit into a biscuit. 'Draco looks up to you, he always has done. And you've grown quite close to Narcissa.'
'I killed Lucius!'
'Exactly,' Abraxas said sombrely. 'Therefore it is your responsibility to take care of his widow and orphan. Where's your Gryffindor chivalry?'
'It's not that,' Sirius protested. 'I'll take care of them both to my dying day.'
'Then why won't you give them some legal assurance of that?'
Sirius sputtered for a bit. 'I think Draco's angry with me,' he said eventually.
'I think Draco is confused,' Abraxas replied. 'He looks up to you almost as a father, but not only are you the one who deprived him of his actual father, you are a more distant relation than he had previously believed - only his mother's cousin.'
'Precisely,' Sirius said, as if that settled everything. 'I'm Narcissa's cousin. We can't possibly get married.'
Abraxas looked at him in amusement. 'What was your mother's maiden name, Mr Black?'
'That's beside the point!'
'I think not,' Abraxas replied with a chuckle. 'You will be continuing in a fine family tradition. Besides, if it was good enough for Queen Victoria...'
'She was a Muggle,' Sirius grumbled.
'And you're a pureblood wizard, so you have even less reason to object.' Abraxas looked triumphant. 'Marry Narcissa and adopt Draco. Narcissa's position will be legally secure, and Draco will have a father once again. You know it's a marvellous idea.'
Sirius hesitated. He had to admit that the idea had its merits, and he was very fond of both Cissy and Draco.
'Let me talk to Cissy and see what she thinks,' he said with a sigh.
....
The next Monday morning, Harry woke much earlier than usual, feeling exceptionally well-rested and full of energy. He summoned Kreacher to draw him a bath, and allowed himself to linger in the hot water a bit longer than he ought to have done. Once clean and dry, he dressed himself in his school robes and set about hiding his scar. Cassiopeia had shown him a few semi-permanent cosmetic charms: they were hardly powerful enough to deceive the likes of Dumbledore or Voldemort, but, seeing as both of his principal adversaries already knew the truth about his identity, Harry thought they would do very nicely. As extra reinforcement, he cast a Notice-Me-Not Charm on his forehead, then made his way downstairs.
Draco was already sitting at the table when Harry came into the breakfast room. There were dark circles beneath his bloodshot eyes, and Draco, who was not usually shy about his meals, was only nibbling at a piece of toast. Harry sat across from him and piled several rashers of bacon, a few heaping spoonfuls of scrambled eggs, a couple of tomatoes and a few slices of black pudding onto his plate. Kreacher poured him a cup of tea and a tall glass of icy-cold pumpkin juice.
Draco arched an eyebrow and smirked faintly.
'Hungry?' he asked wryly.
Harry's mouth was already full, so he could only shrug in reply. Draco snorted, and resumed picking at his toast. Sirius shuffled in, still wearing his bathrobe and looking utterly exhausted.
'Morning,' he mumbled, and sat down at the table.
Harry swallowed a mouthful of eggs. 'Good morning, Dad,' he said. Draco said nothing, but kept staring at his toast.
Sirius yawned widely as he accepted a cup of very strong tea from Kreacher. He drank it in silence, then stood up and stretched.
'It's time for you two to be off to school,' he announced.
Draco nodded and left the table, but Harry grabbed another handful of bacon before he got up. Sirius laughed and ruffled the boy's hair.
'It's nice to see your appetite's returned,' he said.
'What can I say?' Harry replied as he walked into the drawing room. 'I'm a growing boy, and I didn't eat much last week.'
Narcissa was waiting for them in the drawing room. She and Sirius gave both boys hugs – though Draco responded a bit stiffly to Sirius – and the boys Flooed to Remus's office.
.....
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